Labor Day warning: Protect your data with these high-tech travel tips

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (7News) — Before you head out for your Labor Day vacation, 7News On Your Side has some high-tech travel tips to help protect you and your family’s information.

BEWARE OF SUSPICIOUS TRAVEL EMAILS

Scammers will run campaigns to look like travel sites and even hit up your inbox with fake confirmation or cancellation emails.

“Instead of going through the message that you got, go to the website, go to the original email that you got when you booked your reservation,” said Nick Biasini, Global Lead at Cisco Talos Outreach.

CHECK WIFI

Be careful when connecting to Wi-Fi. Many hotels offer internet access, but you have to make sure it’s actually theirs.

“If you do need to join one, use something like a VPN to give you a little bit extra privacy,” Biasini said.

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BLUETOOTH CONNECTIONS

An often overlooked security vulnerability is Bluetooth.

“Think about what you’re pairing via Bluetooth with. Too often I get a rental car and find a huge list of contacts that people have left from the previous car. Think about what you’re sharing and what you’re allowing these devices to get access to,” Biasini said.

PHONE BUMP THREATS

Check your phone, tablet, and laptop settings to make sure you’re not accepting file transfers from just anyone.

“Make sure that you only accept files from people who are your contacts. That’ll help protect you a lot,” Biasini said. “But always be careful and aware of where your phone is, because an unattended phone is an opportunity for an attacker.”

For help with travel or other consumer issues, contact 7News On Your Side’s Call For Action team:

Contact 7News On Your Side’s Call For Action team here or call 301-652-HELP (301-652-4357).